Hearthside Books in Juneau is promoting books for the holiday season, and its catalog features a book for the grand-babies: “Gay BCs”.
“The GayBCs,” released last month by Quirk Books, is authored by a gay graphic designer who wants to ensure parents are having a dialogue with their children about their sexual orientation at a very young age.
Hence, they can learn their alphabet letters and also be discussing their sexual attraction through various terms and jingles:
- C is for Coming Out
- G is for Gay. “It’s a word that implies you’re a girl who likes girls, or a guy who likes guys.”
- I is for Intersex. “Some are born with the parts of both a boy and a girl; bodies are works of art!”
- P is for Pan. “You connect with a vibe. No matter the gender, it’s about what’s inside.”
- Q is for Queer
- T is for Trans.” It’s a brave step to take, to live as the gender you know is innate.”
An entire LGBTQ+ vocabulary of 26 words is taught in the book through rhymes and illustrations. The author says it’s meant for children ages 4-8, but at Amazon, it’s marketed “for children of all ages.” All the reviewers on the Amazon page for the book give it five stars and glowing accolades.
“A playdate extravaganza transforms into a celebration of friendship, love, and identity as four friends sashay out of all the closets, dress up in a wardrobe fit for kings and queens, and discover the wonder of imagination. From A is for Ally to F is for Family to Q is for Queer, debut author/illustrator M. L. Webb’s bright illustrations and lively, inclusive poems delight in the beauty of embracing one’s truest self. A glossary in the back offers opportunity for further discussion of terms and identities.”
Hearthside is featuring the book as part of a page of gay and feminist literature.
The children’s book is not to be confused with the adult book by the same name. Shoppers won’t want to accidentally purchase the adult book thinking it’s for kids. It’s much more adult.
“Gay BCs,” authored and illustrated by Canadian designer Rae Congdon, is marketed as a “A cheeky, progressive adult alphabet book that celebrates and illuminates LGBTQ terminology.”
According to Greystone Books, it’s “a playful, subversive alphabet book that aims to spread awareness and demystify gay and queer terminology for everyone. Instead of apple, ball, and chick, this book’s ABCs are ally, bisexual, and cisgender. A ladybug gains a matching girlfriend to become lesbian, kiss becomes kink, and tie gets a twist to become transgender. Using straightforward, accessible language, GAYBCs also defines less commonly known terms, such as “femme,” “Mx.,” and “ze,” and puts LGBTQ-friendly spins on words like “wedding” and “equality.” With clear definitions and clever illustrations, this book is accessible to everyone from teenagers to grandparents and those in the LGBTQ community as well as family, friends, and allies of all backgrounds. A fun and informative adult picture book, GAYBCs is a queer ABCs for our modern world.”
